MEDIA AND THE HYPE MACHINE

THE URBAN PEACH GUEST WRITER... Redmond Wheeler Flemming

My Great Friend, College Basketball Teammate AND College ROOMMATE Redmond Wheeler Flemming weighs in on how his favorite football team does not get the respect they deserve...AUBURN. ENJOY.

MEDIA AND THE HYPE MACHINE

Last night's victory over the Gamecocks left the great town of Auburn, Alabama rocking. After much post game celebration with friends and family, it was time for bed and to again escape from reality (with the first occurring earlier that night after Cam “Scootin” Newton's 52 yard sprint down the sideline- Unreal speed!).

Now, it is a common Sunday tradition of mine to browse the various SEC headlines around the internet, with my main source being ESPN.com. I try my best read stories covering all teams, but I will admit there is definitely an initial attraction towards articles covering Auburn's previous days.

Similar to the articles that followed last week's Auburn-Clemson game, “professionals” at ESPN have found a way to once again disassociate Auburn from a winning program. Sure, they acknowledge the fact that Auburn had numerical advantage over South Carolina on the scoreboard, and that they are therefore declared “winners,” but there is an obvious shot at the integrity of Auburn's win.

Here is one quotes that proves to be particularly bothersome:

“The Tigers trailed Clemson 17-0 late in the first half last week before winning in overtime on a missed field goal. They escaped again without needing the lucky break.”
1) (Still harping on Clemson) Auburn did not win on a missed field goal. Auburn won because they scored points in overtime. Clemson's missed field goal did NOTHING but prove that it is difficult to make a trivial field goal in overtime under Jordan-Hare's pressure.
2) Similar to last week, Auburn did not win, they just “escaped.” Yeah, right. You don't escape with 334 rushing yards and school breaking records from Cam Newton.
3) “lucky break” -Auburn is not talented, they are just lucky. Auburn does not hit hard on defense, just ask Kyle Parker (who still might be stumbling from his game against Auburn). Auburn's defense did not force Steve Spurrier to ditch Garcia and go to freshman quarterback Connor Shaw in crucial moments of the game. And when the freshman panicked under the pressure, Auburn did not force two late turnovers, either. Yeah, right.
Is Auburn perfect? Not even close. Are they a great program that wins football games? Yes. At moments, have they been equally as impressive as any other team in the nation? I say yes. Yet, most importantly, are they treated as a top tier program? Not to the media... check this section of Chris Low's article out:

“Alabama and Arkansas both had their moments when they resembled championship football teams. 

The difference was that Alabama finished like a champion, coming back from 13 points down to hand Arkansas a bitter 24-20 defeat at Razorback Stadium.”

What a joke! Finish like a champion. Did Alabama not get lucky that Mallet threw picks on his final two possessions? Was it finishing like a champion for not going up on the scoreboard until the 4th quarter? Get real. And what has Arkansas done this year that is completely deserving of all their hype? Didn't they previously go a pretty unimpressive 3-5 in the SEC? I'm not saying that these are not two great teams, I'm just saying their portrayal by “unbiased” media is very unfair and is designed to promote particular teams to the college hype machine. Auburn, lucky? Yeah right.
War Damn

Bigwheel

SEC WEEK 4 RECAP

Yeah...this guys the man right now



The Myth, The Man, The Legend...Verne Lundquist












This past Saturday was a great day in the SEC. Since I had a wedding to go to last weekend, this weekend I made sure to clear my schedule. After my BRO William and I had a man date consisting of a morning workout and then breakfast and Game Day at his place, I sat on the couch literally ALL day and watched football. If only the weather was a little colder, it would have been a PERFECT fall Saturday. Let's start with the 3:30 CBS game in which Verne Lundquist preceded to say "oh my goodness" at least fifty times...Verne was loving every minute of Alabama - Arkansas, and so was I!

Alabama 24 Arkansas 20

It was number 1 at number 10, and the Razorback crowd was fired up. It was definitely the biggest game in Fayetteville in the last ten years. All week, Alabama fans kept talking about how this game would not even be close, which annoyed me a little bit because Arkansas is a good team. Some of those Bama fans are getting cocky, but thats OK because you are allowed to be cocky when S "The Coach" is in charge of your program.

Ryan Mallett came out ready to sling the rock and scored in only TWO plays. That ended up being a sign of good things to come for Arkansas in the first half, as Mallett continued to impress the country with his ability to put the ball on the money. Alabama QB Greg McElroy, who is the ultimate winner (Rhodes scholar candidate, National champion, hasn't lost a game since 8th grade) had a really bad first half, throwing two picks and missing a few receivers. You could tell he was upset at himself in the second quarter.

However, Nick Saban, Kirby Saban, and the Alabama defense made some great adjustments in the second half, and finally found ways to put some pressure on Mallett. National Championship teams find a way to win games like these, and Alabama did exactly that. Although the Tide has a young secondary, those young guys grew up in the second half of this game. It was fitting that Bama CB Dre Kirkpatrick, who cost the Tide a touchdown in the first half, sealed the game with his late 4th quarter interception. Alabama's win sets the stage for a rematch of the SEC championship the past TWO years in T-town saturday. You better believe I'll be there.


Auburn 35 South Carolina 27

Once again, Auburn got down early. They were down 20-7 at one point in the second quarter. But once again, Auburn came back. Once again, Fig Newton was legit. I am really impressed with this team. They seem to have a lot of fight in them and they are fun to watch. Two straight weeks, Auburn played two really good teams from the state of South Carolina, and Auburn won both. I still think South Carolina is good and has a chance to win the East, but Spurrier is going to have to figure out what he wants to do.

I like to joke about how he jerks around Garcia, but Saturday night I feel like Spurrier cost the Gamecocks the win. After Garcia had fumbled twice, Spurrier jerked him out in favor of a FRESHMAN in he 4th quarter. And not just in the 4th quarter, in the 4th quarter of an away, night game in the SEC. How is Garcia supposed to have ANY confidence whatsoever when Spurrier continues to jerk him around like this. I thought he had made some pretty good throws. One was a GREAT throw to one of his big receivers in the endzone. But then, when things started to not good as well, Spurrier had seen enough of Garcia, and decided to go with Freshman Connor Shaw down the stretch (who threw 2 picks in the 4th quarter). When Greg McElroy threw two picks in the 2nd quarter Saturday, you didn't see Saban bench him. And Alabama has a pretty good backup quarterback. Over the course of the game, if you play quarterback, you WILL make mistakes. You have the rock in your hands every play. Just like in basketball, the point guard is going to have a few turnovers, its inevitable. Spurrier gets to second guess Garcia's throws, Stephen Garcia does not. Sometimes I think you've got to pat your guy on the back and make a decision to just play it out with him.

Mississippi St. 24 Georgia 12

This game was not as close as the score even says. UGA got beat in every phase of the game by a mediocre as grits team. They once again had key fumbles, key penalties, etc. But even more than that, UGA just DID NOT look inspired to play football. You could just see it. The game was boring. It was awful to watch. Todd Grantham's "relentless pressure" Defense got no pressure on Miss. St.'s mediocre QB. UGA's offense did not score a touchdown until late in the 4th quarter when the game was over. I'm disgusted. I think a lot of people are. Georgia just is not very good. Period.


Florida 48 Kentucky 14

Florida seems like they are finally started to come around. Are they a top 10 team? Maybe. But it doesn't really matter. What matters is, they are undefeated and going to play the #1 team in the nation on Saturday. This is exactly where Florida wanted to be at this point in the year. They have put themselves in a position to beat Alabama and really make some noise around the country. I think its going to be a war on Saturday. Whatever Florida misses in toughness this year (aka Tim Tebow) they make up for in speed. It is going to be very interesting to see John Brantley go against Alabama's D. He is facing a Defense on Saturday that is going to challenge him to make the right throw every single time, and if he doesn't, Alabama will punish him. The pressure is going to be on him Saturday in T-town.

In other games...
Ole Miss held off Fresno St. Congratulations OLE MISS!! You guys got a win. At home too, where things have not gone as planned this year. At least if you go to Ole Miss and the football is having a bad year, you've still got THE GROVE.

LSU held off W. Virginia 20-14 in a night game in Death Valley. They have played better than I expected this year. But its going to get tough for them very fast.

Tennessee held off UAB 32-29 in Double OT at home! Tennessee is just not very good this year, but we all knew that would happen. UGA may have another chance to go against another win less team in the SEC on Saturday Oct. 9th when Derrek Dooley comes home to Athens.

THE URBAN PEACH SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Cameron Newton QB Auburn. Fig was 16-21 for 158 yards and 2 TD with 0 picks. He also rushed 25 times for 176 yards and 3 TDs. He accounted for 5 Auburn touchdowns.! Tim Tebowesque. Fig's the man.

Its supposed to be a beautiful Fall Saturday this weekend. I can't wait for that cooler weather!

-Sports BRO

SEC RECAP - WEEK 3

Saturday morning started out great. It was beautiful weather in the morning so I worked out and ran, then got breakfast and came home to catch the last hour of College Game Day, which was at Auburn this week. Second straight week in the SEC! After Game Day I got to watch the first half of the UGA v Arkansas game before I had to leave to go to a wedding. The wedding was great, but the reception last until around 9pm, so I missed most of the college football day. However, I did catch the second half and overtime of the Auburn v Clemson game, and what a game that was! We'll start with this one...

Auburn v Clemson

After being down 17-0, the Auburn Fig Newtons finally woke up and started to play. They scored 3 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter and ended up taking the game into OT. In OT, Auburn kicked a field goal to take a 27-24 lead. Clemson's Offense then came out and redshirt freshman kicker Chandler Catanzaro thought they had answered, only to find out that his made field goal was negated by a penalty. He missed his second try, and the celebration began in Auburn.

The SEC prevailed in this one but I have to give some big time props to Clemson's QB Kyle Parker. That dude is a BIG TIME athlete. He has an absolute cannon and he took some serious shots to the head during that game. This guy has a lot of heart, and I admire the fact that he came back to play one more season of football before going to play baseball for the Colorado Rockies. (They drafted him in the 1st round and he is entitled to a 1.4 million signing bonus).

Overall, I would say Game Day was a success in Auburn and I know the students had fun this weekend.

Georgia v Arkansas
Arkansas 31 UGA 24

Arkansas was up 24-10 in the 4th before the dogs made a roaring comeback to tie the game at 24 with 4 minutes left. UGA ended up getting the ball back with 2 minutes left, but could not seal the deal. When Ryan Mallett got his chance to win the game, he did not disappoint.

Last week UGA couldn't stop the run @ South Carolina (aka could not stop Marcus Lattimore). Yesterday, UGA couldn't stop the pass. Ryan Mallett connected on 21-33 for 380 yards and 3 TD's against Todd Grantham's D. In addition, the Dogs gave up numerous big plays against Petrino's offense. UGA's D also only sacked Mallett 1 time. Didn't we hire Grantham to bring "relentless pressure" and limit big plays?? He didn't do it Saturday. However, it's only game 3 of his tenure. I still don't think the D has completely figured out how to run his 3-4 scheme the way he wants it done. Have to give him some more time.

Two other observations about the UGA/Arkansas game...
1. Ryan Mallett is more mobile and even better than I thought. He proved me wrong saturday. He moved well in the pocket and rose up to the road challenge in Athens.
2. UGA and Aaron Murray are desperately missing AJ Green. AJ was needed during that game. They are now 0-2 in the SEC without him. Bet he wishes he had kept that lousy Independence Bowl jersey right now. More on Richt and UGA later this week...


Florida v Tennessee

Florida won their 6th straight over Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, 31-17. However, the Gators started out slow for the 3rd game in a row. I agree with Tony Barnhart aka "Mr. College Football", Florida is a team that is still trying to find its identity. Here's the scary thing, they are far from playing their best football, but they are still 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC. They are finding a way to get it done and they will only improve as they move forward.


Alabama v Duke - Bama 62 Duke 13

Mark Ingram came back and ran for 151 yards and 2 TD's as Bama rolled. Here is why Bama is so good...At halftime, Saban was asked about the first half and he called out his guys saying that their defense in the first half was unacceptable and that guys were not doing their job. The football game was already over, but Saban wasn't happy. He is NEVER satisfied, and he doesn't let his players ever be satisfied either. He treats every possession like it is the most important possession of the season, and his players buy in.


Vanderbilt 28 Ole Miss 14

The Commodores beat Ole Miss between a battle of two of the SEC's worst teams. The year continues to be a nightmare for the Rebels, who threw away a good opportunity to win an SEC game at home. It is only going to get harder from here, as the REb's still have to play Bama, Auburn, Arkansas, and LSU. OUCH! Props to Vandy.


LSU 29 - Miss. St 7

LSU improves to 2-0 in the SEC while Miss. St falls to 0-2. Good thing LSU took care of business in this game, because the rest of their season may not be so great. Miss. St. sets the stage next week to play the 0-2 team in the cellar of the SEC East, UGA. Sounds weird to say UGA is in the cellar in the SEC, doesn't it?

In other games...
Kentucky rolled over Akron 47-10. South Carolina beat Furman 38 - 19, and yes, Spurrier still hates Garcia.

That'll do it for this week. Excited about next week...Alabama at Arkansas at 3:30 on CBS. Can't wait to hear Vern Lundquist say "WOW" 100 + times during the game. I have been looking forward to his commentating all season. At night, South Carolina travels to Auburn. Seems like Auburn plays more night games than any other team in the Country. Going to be a big test for South Carolina and Garcia, assuming Spurrier doesn't punch him in the face and give him a concussion this week at practice.


The Urban Peach SEC Player of the Week:

Ryan Mallett - Arkansas. Mallett was 21-33 for 380 yards and 3 TD's, including a game winning drive and touchdown pass.

Arkansas Game Huge for Mark Richt's Future

It is only week three of college football. It is only Georgia's second SEC game. It is only their third game with a completely new defensive staff and scheme. But for Mark Richt, there has never been as much riding on a game since he has been the head coach at the University of Georgia. Mark Richt, you CANNOT lose this game if you want to keep your job at UGA.

Now before I start talking about why this game is so important for Richt, let me first start by saying I defended him all spring and summer. In an earlier post, I talked about how Paul Finebaum, a very influential SEC media member, continually predicted that this season would be Richt's last. He wrote an article about it that you can read right here: Finebaum's article on Richt

But all spring and summer, I continually disagreed with Finebaum on Richt's future in Athens. I felt that Richt would make the necessary changes that he needed to make on defense, which he did. I felt he would get tougher as a football coach because he had to and because his calm demeanor and loving father-like figure image just wasn't cutting it anymore in the SEC. I felt Richt would change. I said he would change some things. Richt even said he was going to change some things. However, the South Carolina game proved that some of these things simply have not changed quite yet.

Now, I also predicted a few weeks ago on this blog that UGA would lose to South Carolina. However, I did say that they would get it together and rebound against Arkansas the next week. This is what makes the Arkansas game so important. The Bulldog nation is ticked off. UGA didn't tackle. UGA's highly touted offensive line wasn't tough enough. Spurrier was too good. This Saturday, UGA fans need to see change. They better see UGA's defense flying and hitting all over the field. They better see UGA's running game dictate assert its dominance on offense. They better see Richt light a fire under somebody.

To Richt's defense, he did the right thing with Aaron Murrary against South Carolina last week. He protected his freshman quarterback on the road in his first SEC game. Murray passed the test. Hes a player. We knew he would be. Well Aaron, you better be ready to sling it on Saturday, because you better believe Richt is going to pull it all out now. He can't afford not to. He has to make a statement. Because here's the thing: if UGA falls to 0-2 in the SEC, basically eliminating themsevles from getting to Atlanta without yet having played Florida, Richt may be done. It would be one thing if he won more than 7 games last year, but in this conference, with the success UGA has had, with the talent UGA and the state of Georgia continually has, there is just no excuse for the mediocrity.

Me, I still have hope. Like I said, I thought they would lose last week. I also think that last weeks loss will help the team grow up real fast and find its identity. If UGA wins Saturday, they very well may start rolling. I am hoping it happens. UGA fans, its make or break Saturday for Mark Richt.

Tough weekend for Atlanta

GA Tech was upset by Kansas. UGA got dominated and out-coached against South Carolina, the Falcons could not even score a touchdown and lost to a bush league quarterback, and the Atlanta Braves' Ace, Tim Hudson, got rocked and lost his third decision in a row.

Things are not looking good in Atlanta right now. Lets start with the Braves. I am really starting to get worried about the way things are going. Pitching is the first thing that is bothering me. The Phillies are playing lights out baseball right now, and their Ace pitchers are playing their best ball in September, while our pitching seems to have deserted us as of late. Huddy is our ace, and if he is losing then we are in trouble, plain and simple.

Second thing troubling is our first base play. Troy Glaus has bad knees and has been one of the worst hitters in the game for the last 3 months. What do we do, we go and get Derrek Lee, someone who I really thought would help us. He has not. He has hit 1 homerun with the Braves so far and continues to make outs in clutch situations. Should we go with Freeman? Some people would not want to throw a young guy in there in the thick of a pennant race with 18 games left, but I don't have a problem with that. If he is the Braves best first basemen than it is time for him to be a man and step up. I am just not sure he is the Braves best first baseman right now. And I don't think we are going to bench DLee. Like it or not Braves fans, were going to roll with this guy.

The third thing that concerns me is the NL West. The Rockies have won 10 in a row. The Giants are coming on strong. A week ago, I was not as worried because I knew that even if we lost out to the Phillies, at the time we had a wild card lead of 4 games. Now that lead is down to 1. And the way the Giants and Rockies are playing, it looks as if that 1 game lead may be over quickly.

However, with all this being said, there is still hope. We have been playing our second worst baseball of the year (worst was 9 game losing streak in April) and we are only down 1 game. We play the Phillies 6 more times before the season is over. Forget everything that has happened so far, those 6 games are going to decide the Braves 2010 season.

Also, keep in mind that we have a major league leading final at bat victories this year. This is living proof that this team believes in one another and does NOT give up. They are on a mission to win for Bobby and I still believe in them. So with all this being said, lets forget what has happened as of late and enjoy these last 18 pivotal games. And if we are in Atlanta or can make it to Atlanta, GO TO THE BALL PARK. We have the best home record in the national league, we are in a pennant race, and we need the fans to SHOW OUT. Lets GET IT BRAVOS!!!

On to the Falcons...

A few of my observations a day after the game:

1. No ice in "Matty Ice's" veins - We really need to stop referring to Matt Ryan as "Matty Ice". What has this guy done to deserve a nickname that refers to how clutch he is?? Now I am not saying hes not a good QB. I am not saying he can't be great. But I am tired of all this hype surrounding him. His rookie season is now 2 years removed and the NFL is about "what have you done for me lately." As of late, MR2 has not done much. I'm not sure if MR wanted that nickname, and I'm not even sure he embraces it, but he definitely has not been living up to it. He didn't get us in the endzone 1 time yesterday, and although the Steelers made a great pick with 1:40 left in the game, he is responsible for it.

I think MR is a tough player, I think hes incredibly smart as well, I just think hes not as good as Falcons fans, NFL commentators, etc. give him credit. I'm not going to give him unjust credit based on "potential". I'll give him the recognition and credit when it is justly due.

2. We lost to a pretty bad QB in Dennis Dixon. The guy didn't get his team a touchdown until OT, and that was a 50 yard aka a complete meltdown by the Falcons D. With Dixon playing QB, the Falcons should have jumped all over this opportunity. Instead, we struggled to score the entire game as well. I know Pittsburgh is still good, but the Falcons are already a game behind the Saints and lets just say they can't afford to get another game down if they want to have a chance to win the division...

GA Tech...that was a really bad loss. TERRIBLE day for the ACC. VA Tech goes down to James Madision?? So much for Boise States big win. Miami gets beat @ Ohio St. and Jacory Harris threw 4 picks. Then GA Tech lost to Kansas. Thats weaksauce.

More on UGA and Mark Richt tomorrow....

-Sports BRO

SEC RECAP - WEEK 2

The picture on the right was given to me courtesy of my buddy JJ Pettit who just Graduated from USC. JJ traveled to Columbia for the game this weekend and took this pic for me. His Gamecocks may finally have a legit shot at getting to Atlanta this year


Week two in the SEC was burning up! I mean it was HOT in the Southeast this weekend. I went to Tuscaloosa to see JoePA and Penn St. come to town and when I walked to gameday at 8AM it was already 90+ degrees outside. Erin Andrews was wearing jeans and a freakin' jacket! Not really sure what she was thinking. And yes, just to let you guys know, she looks even better in person than she does on tv. She and Kirk "frosted tips" Herbstreit went out to Innisfree Friday night before the game as well. Innisfree is a really cool bar in Tuscaloosa, probably my favorite one there. It's a huge Irish pub that has a big patio out front and on the side. College students LOVE this place.

Speaking of Kirk Herbstreit, Alabama fans did not give him a warm welcome on Saturday morning after he predicted Auburn to win the SEC west a few weeks ago. There were quite a few jeers from the crowd when he spoke and numerous signs about him. He's not a very popular guy in Tuscaloosa. However, his gelled hair and frosted tips were perfectly constructed. He must have spent extra time to make his hair look right since it was so humid. I give him credit for that. One of the coolest signs I saw was from a Penn St. guy that said, "Bro Paterno is a BRO KING." Simple but to the point. That guy really is a Bro-King.

The atmosphere in Tuscaloosa was unbelievable and Penn St. fans were swarming. Even after they lost they crowded the streets looking to have a good time. I think they knew they were going to lose because it seemed like they just wanted to experience an SEC football weekend.

Since I on the subject of Alabama, I'll start with the recap of this game...

Alabama v Penn St.

Nick Saban's boys absolutely dominated this game from the start. It is Saban's goal every week for Alabama to physically dominate their opponent on EVERY play, and Alabama did just that. The o-line made a statement with their physical play early, and Trent Richardson was unreal. He rushed for 102 yards in the first half and broke tackles seemingly every time he touched the ball. Alabama fans aren't surprised though, they know there is not a drop off without Ingram. It is going to be scary when Ingram comes back. McElroy may not even throw the ball the rest of the season. Speaking of McElroy, he was solid as usual. This guy is Mr. consistent. He made great reads the entire game and led a balanced attack. I think he may be the best leader in college football right now. The guy has not lost a game since 8th grade!

Did anyone see when the camera showed Bro Paterno around 8:30 PM in the second half? I really think he fell asleep during the game. Poor guy. Those night games are probably tough for him.

South Carolina v Georgia

This game was frustrating for me since I am a UGA fan. Marcus Lattimore was absolutely unstoppable against the Dawgs. They could not tackle him. Our defense seemed to be a step slow the entire game. I am sure they were tired too. South Carolina did a really good job on offense with long drives. They first drive of the game was 8 minutes long! You have to give a lot of credit to South Carolina, because they clearly came out ready to play. The Evil Genius outcoached Richt again. He also was hilarious after the game when asked how his QB Stephen Garcia played. Spurrier just won't give this dude a compliment. Garcia must have some thick skin to play for that guy. He also may be the ugliest QB in the SEC. That dude really needs a haircut!

As for UGA, Aaron Murray looked solid in his first SEC test of his career. He made good reads and didn't seem to force the issue. He underthrew Kris Durham a little bit in the 3rd quarter and if he hadn't then Durham would have ran in the endzone untouched. Two plays later, Ealey fumbled the ball at the 1 yard line, which turned out to be the turning point in the game. If UGA punched it in there, I think it would have been a whole different game. Tough break for the dawgs. However, UGA does NOT need to panic. It was an early road loss against a good team. UGA's offense is still clicking, and the defense has only played two games under Grantham. The D was not spectacular, but it definitely got better as the game went on, which is a promising sign. AJ Green was definitely missed though. Aaron Murray threw a few deep balls that I think AJ catches if he is out there.

With that being said, next weeks game against Arkansas is a MUST WIN for the Dawgs. It will be a huge game for both teams because if UGA falls to 0-2 in the SEC, they are done after week 3. If Arkansas loses, they have Alabama waiting. And they are not going to beat Alabama. It is going to be an interesting game.

Auburn v. Mississippi St.

Cameron Newton is really good. But Mississippi found a way to lose this Thursday night game. That dropped pass at the end of the game cost the Bulldogs. There was no excuse for dropping that one. Seems to be the story of Mississippi St. They will play teams close but just can't get over the hump. Look for Newton to continue to put up good numbers. Auburn goes as far as Newton takes them this year.

Florida v South Florida

The Gators once again got off to a slow start against a decent South Florida team. They were down 7-0 at the end of the 1st quarter but eventually found their stride and pulled away in the second half. I still am high on Florida though. It is just going to take a little time to adjust to a completely different QB in John Brantley. JB can sling it though. But right now, it looks like Alabama is going to roll on the gators in a few weeks.

In other games...
Kentucky rolled against Western Kentucky
LSU drilled Vandy 27-3. Not really shocked about that one.
Tennessee got off to a good start but Oregon eventually woke up and pounded the Vols 48-13.
Arkansas defeated Louisiana Monroe 31-7
Ole Miss defeated Tulane 27-13 in New Orleans. The Rebels still are not looking so good. But I guarantee they will beat someone that they have NO business beating this year.

Sports Bro's SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina - True Freshman Marcus Lattimore rushed for 182 yards against UGA. This guy is a STUD! He was the difference maker in the game and is what Spurrier has been missing the last few years.

SEC Week 1 Recap

Don't get too confident just yet big guy...You got to face the Evil Genius next week...






Ole Miss Stunned by JSU????
Seriously Ole Miss? Jacksonville State University? JSU...otherwise known as "Just Show Up" by many that attend. Located in Anniston, Alabama...this University just went into Oxford and left Ole Miss fans stunned. So much for the hype about Jeremiah Masoli. Losing to JSU kind of puts a damper on the NCAA ruling. I am not going to lie, this is an embarrassment to the SEC. My question is, how do you rebound from this if your Ole Miss? You just lost to "Just Show Up" at HOME. How are you going to feel when you guys play at Alabama? I really hope none of those players went out to party Saturday night after that loss!

Alabama Rolls

I did not get to watch the game because it was on Pay per view, but the outcome was as expected for Alabama. 48-3 victory. Defense did not give up a touchdown. I heard Alabama's backup quarterback A.J. McCarron looked good, which is good news for Tide Fans. Although you have to keep in mind that he looked good against San Jose State. I heard the new addition to the stadium looked amazing inside Bryant-Denny. I have seen it from the outside, hoping to see it from the inside next week against Penn State. FYI - Saban's statue is not up yet, but his name is engraved and 2009 is already engraved as well. Looks like it is about to go up. Can you imagine walking into work and looking to the right to see your own statue?!? That's when you know your big time!

UGA looks better than expected!

No AJ Green, no Washaun Ealey, no Alec Ogletree (suspended for stealing a $35 scooter helmet aka hes an idiot!) And a few others that did not play as well. I expected UGA to look a little rusty on offense, but 55 points negated that theory. Aaron Murray looked poised and confident, and didn't try to do to make any crazy Matthew Stafford throws. However, he better be careful with some of those runs he made. Richt may want to talk to him about sliding on some of those because South Carolina is going to hit a lot harder than the Ragin Cajuns'. And even though Hutson Mason threw a touchdown pass on his first play, I don't want to see him playing against South Carolina next week. Defense looked great! I loved how when UGA's defender (can't remember who) bit on that pumpfake to give up their only big play, Grantham GOT IN HIS FACE! He was PO'd to give up that play. It was relentless pressure and the D seemed to have fun out there. Next week's game is HUGE.

Florida looks rusty

Look, I'll be the first to say it...the Gators looked bad. Really bad. They have about 12 bad snaps to new qb John Brantley. They struggled against a team that only won 1 game last year. However, they are still really good. They will get the snapping situation under control, and we still have not seen all that Brantley can do. This man can sling the rock. They are still the team to beat in the SEC East.

Les Miles gets lucky...AGAIN!

Once again...LSU escapes a game that they probably should have lost. Make no mistake about it, LSU's talent is incredible, but their coaching sort of equalizes it. UNC was miss 15 players!! They should have won the game. My old basketball team mate TJ Yates almost pulled off an unbelievable comeback. This was an entertaining game to say the least, and its going to be an intertaining season for LSU to say the least. I can see Les Miles being canned at the end of this year.

Stay tuned for an SEC week 2 preview later this week...

- Sports Bro